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CALIFORNIA: State's first lady won't influence governor
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 7/9/9 | Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

Posted on 07/09/2009 7:39:34 AM PDT by SmithL

California first lady Maria Shriver, one of the Kennedy clan, says Democrats and average Californians are urging her to influence her husband, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on how to deal with painful budget cuts to state social programs.

"My office is inundated with hundreds of calls every day: 'Why don't I solve this?' " she said. But "it's not like you can just walk in; it's not so easy," she added. "The last thing all the legislators - and Arnold - need is that concept."

Shriver made the comments in an interview with The Chronicle Wednesday, saying that while the budget is tough for everyone, the governor and legislative leaders - Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass - are doing their part to reach a deal.

Shriver's connection to politics far predates her marriage to the governor.

She is the daughter of former Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidate Sargent Shriver and Eunice Shriver, a sister to U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, the late president John F. Kennedy and the late presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.

Shriver said she understands why so many Californians think she can play an important role in California's current $26.3 billion budget deficit - especially because Schwarzenegger has acknowledged her instincts on that front and her past role as a political adviser.

The California Majority Report, a Democratic Web site, featured a public entreaty Wednesday by strategist Steve Maviglio, urging Shriver to convince her husband to save the state's critical social programs.

Shriver says he's not the first to ask for her help.

"I don't take five steps when someone doesn't come up to me," she said. Whether she's getting coffee or on the street, she is buttonholed over the budget problems.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: goldenstate; kennedy; mariashriver; schwarzenegger; schwarzenkennedy; shriver

1 posted on 07/09/2009 7:39:34 AM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

She has an “office” ?


2 posted on 07/09/2009 7:41:11 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: SmithL

well Maria has gotten long in the tooth now hasn’t she??

oh right, she is a Kennedy...


3 posted on 07/09/2009 7:41:43 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: SmithL

Humph. A talking leather boot. Will wonders ever cease ?


4 posted on 07/09/2009 7:42:07 AM PDT by Celerity
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To: SmithL

Yeah, Right. My wife doesn’t influence me either!

What utter BS!


5 posted on 07/09/2009 7:46:35 AM PDT by ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY ( The Constitution needs No interpreting, only APPLICATION!)
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To: SmithL
"I don't take five steps when someone doesn't come up to me,"

I have a feeling the only people who DON'T approach Maria are normal, everyday taxpayers who would ask her to please keep the state out of their faces and out of their wallets.

6 posted on 07/09/2009 7:48:24 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

Maybe her office is in charge of laundry and morale.


7 posted on 07/09/2009 7:51:41 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

none the less, she still has an office.


8 posted on 07/09/2009 7:59:42 AM PDT by television is just wrong (one bad ass mistake America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: SmithL

She wears the pants in the family and has been calling the shots since day one.

Which is why California is in its current shape.


9 posted on 07/09/2009 8:02:49 AM PDT by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
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To: SmithL
The reason she is getting so much attention, her picture is prominently displayed on the http://ca.gov/ homepage. And, the pic is 3x as big her husband's picture with the text “We Connect You to Money, Opportunity & Dreams.”

What the heck does she expect??

10 posted on 07/09/2009 8:29:46 AM PDT by califamily4W (Freedom!)
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To: SmithL
Tales from the crypt
11 posted on 07/09/2009 8:30:34 AM PDT by mefistofelerevised
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To: SmithL

ROTFLOL She and her uncle are right in there the whole way.


12 posted on 07/09/2009 8:32:46 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: SmithL

She has already screwed him up beyond belief.


13 posted on 07/09/2009 8:33:08 AM PDT by boomop1
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To: SmithL

Get a load of this.

http://live.radioamerica.org/loudwater/player.pl?name=wnd&url=http://feeds.radioamerica.org/podcast/DWP/audio/000007_010674.mp3


14 posted on 07/09/2009 8:35:23 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: SmithL
"CALIFORNIA: State's first lady won't influence governor"

She won't influence him because there is no need to.
That item was taken care of years ago.
Arnie knows by now what he is supposed to do to further the liberal agenda.

She just maintains an office nearby to keep an eye on him in case he gets an occasional thought of his own.

15 posted on 07/09/2009 8:58:43 AM PDT by Iron Munro (If you canÂ’t be a good example youÂ’ll just have to be a horrible warning, like Obama.)
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To: SmithL

“First Lady”? Where is that title in the Constitution? Not an official government position. We are not supposed to have royalty in the US.


16 posted on 07/09/2009 10:08:04 AM PDT by gorilla_warrior (Metrosexual hairless RINOs for hopey-changey bipartisan-ness)
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